


ad astra (to the stars)

by apeunde



Category: VIXX
Genre: M/M, Sci-Fi AU, Space AU, i never planned to write this much, i swear to god this is a monster of a fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-14 17:21:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4573101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apeunde/pseuds/apeunde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>taekwoon’s job involves dealing with dangerous creatures from all over space, but his life is still relatively calm until a somewhat infamous space pirate by the name of cha hakyeon decides to turn it upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	ad astra (to the stars)

When he hears the bell above his front door jingle, Taekwoon inwardly groans. It’s not so much that he’s having yet another customer — there were four over the course of the morning and two right after lunch, which is more than on usual days — but more that he really wanted to take a short break and get some coffee.

“How can I help you?” he asks quietly; he doesn’t like raising his voice. He watches the figure come closer to the counter, and he has to keep himself from scrunching up his nose. It’s a Tersatian this time, and Taekwoon never liked looking at them much. It’s the pustules, he tells himself as he looks down at the customer, big and swollen and of a lime green color that’s far too close to looking poisonous. He’s heard one time that someone had gotten paralysed by simple grazing one of them. He looks defiantly at the small bag the alien is putting on his counter.

“Three hundred gems worth,” the creature croaks as a couple of his warts seem to jiggle, and Taekwoon raises one eyebrow at the wanted price. For that much the Tersatian could’ve brought him one of the emperor’s energy stones.

He opens the bag of cloth carefully; more than once there were times when he almost lost his hand or a finger thanks to the dangerous items people bring to his shop. When he tugs at it, a little metal ball falls onto the old wood, one that has Taekwoon’s lips crook with interest.

“A gyromite tomb key?” he says, loud enough for the alien to hear and yet low and with reserve — artifacts like this are never good trading items. They could bring trouble, lots of trouble, Taekwoon has heard, and he isn’t the type craving for it. Hell, he isn’t even sure how the creature was able to smuggle this in, despite all the black markets on the base.

“Take it, leave it. I can find someone who will pay even more.” the Tersatian rumbles in his deep croaky voice, and it sends a little shudder down Taekwoon’s spine. He eyes the object warily, dark eyes tracing over the runes engraved in its shell — he could sell it for much more than just three hundred gems.

“Alright,” he nods, taking the little ball and weighing it in his hand; it feels soft and almost warm to the touch, and despite the density of the metal it’s not heavy to hold. “I’ll be back with your money in two minutes.” The Tersatian gives him a nod, and Taekwoon finally breathes in full once he’s through the door to the back of the shop.

He doesn’t usually keep that much money lying around, but owning a pawnshop still on the edge of being legally approved gives him a lot more customers with rather questionable materials. He doesn’t go around telling the guards what exactly he’s selling in the back of his shop, mostly because he knows they would probably try to take it off of him only to sell it for even more than he would — he’s seen it all before. The base isn’t exactly as nice and safe as people assume.

He’s lucky to have made a couple of good deals that morning, selling three Xylogast horns for a little over six hundred gems. He knows they’re going to be used for illegal armor and weapons, unbreakable and sharp as they are, but he can’t find it in himself to care. As long as he doesn’t know and doesn’t ask, he’s out of anyone’s reach.

Taekwoon counts the coins quickly, trained eye gathering the right amount with a swift move of his fingers. He hides the rest in a little safe under the sink — there’s no better place in the small shop that reeks of sewers and has the ground made of unmovable metal.

When he comes back to the counter, it’s just in time to hear the front door jingle again. He’s fast to give the Tersatian their money; he doesn’t want any other customer snooping in on their trade. The key is fast to disappear into a little velvety bag under the counter, and just in time.

“Good business today?”

Taekwoon can hear the smile in the voice even before Hakyeon turns around, the hood of his dark brown cloak covering most of his face and hair. He pulls it off when he steps closer to the wooden counter Taekwoon’s standing behind, revealing his silver hair and clean cut cheekbones. He can’t help the smile that’s pressing itself onto his lips as he eyes the pirate, and he can tell in the way Hakyeon’s eyes gleam that he’s more than pleased to see him.

“It was alright,” Taekwoon replies with a shrug of his shoulders, and he notices Hakyeon raising his eyebrows, eyes narrowing a bit; the amused smile on his lips doesn’t falter.

“Seemed pretty damn alright for the amount of money you just let past your counter,” Hakyeon presses with curiosity, and Taekwoon tenses, meeting Hakyeon’s eye.

“It was decent,” he replies noncommittally, eyeing Hakyeon with suspicion. The pirate is fast to raise his hands in truce, the smile gracing his lips wider and more boyish now — sometimes Taekwoon forgets just how young he really is. The same age as Taekwoon, and yet living such a completely different life; one that Taekwoon can only dream about.

“I’m not here to cause trouble,” Hakyeon chuckles as he leans on the counter. He’s close, almost close enough for Taekwoon to be able to smell the scents of the bustling ramps and docks outside on the base, the smell of the smoke and the oil and the never stopping throng of people. This time he can’t help but scrunch up his nose. Hakyeon also smells like a pirate, and that’s hardly a compliment.

“You never are,” Taekwoon replies with a playful tone, almost sarcastic. Hakyeon’s eyes flash with mirth from under the silver bangs falling into his eyes. “But you reek. When was the last time you took a bath?” he says, putting his hand over his nose in to emphasise his comment.

“Hmm?” Hakyeon looks at him, and his eyes are intense. Taekwoon finds himself staring back, because Hakyeon’s undoubtedly mesmerising, despite his reputation. “I could take one now if you are willing to join me…” he says with a sly smile on his lips as he leans closer to Taekwoon, looking up and into his eyes as he leans further over the counter. It’s not the first time they’ve flirted, far from it, but even though he genuinely likes Hakyeon, there’s always something in the pit of Taekwoon’s stomach that doesn’t let it go farther than that — just flirting.

Taekwoon snorts. “Tempting. But no. I don’t get involved with pirates.”

Something in Hakyeon’s eyes grows darker at Taekwoon’s words, almost dangerous, but they both know what Hakyeon is and that Taekwoon’s refusal is the smart thing to do if he wants to stay out of trouble.

“Pity. I tell you, one day your answer will be different, Taekwoonie…” Hakyeon chuckles, one of his hands coming up to trail his finger along Taekwoon’s neck and up his chin. It sends a little shudder down Taekwoon’s spine, more pleasant than filled with fear — he knows Hakyeon well enough not to be really afraid of him. But even though he feels like he’s known him for ages, the man’s charisma and intimidating aura still makes him feel uneasy sometimes. He’s deadly, Taekwoon knows, but only when hunting down his prey. And Taekwoon isn’t a prey — or well, he thinks as his skin tingles at the hunger in Hakyeon’s eyes, at least not the kind of a prey Hakyeon would want to kill.

“Say hi to Hongbin,” Taekwoon calls after him when Hakyeon turns back around and walks out the door, closing it with a jingle and a wave of the back of his hand. Taekwoon’s gaze lingers on the door; he watches Hakyeon’s figure through the glass of the shop’s front window as he puts his hood back on and walks down the street. There’s a small smile on Taekwoon’s lips, eyes soft as he hopes that nothing too dangerous happens until the next time Hakyeon boards the base; he already looks forward to seeing him again.

As he walks to the door he suddenly realizes he has no idea what the purpose of Hakyeon’s visit was. He didn’t sell or buy anything — could it be he simply wanted to see him? He pushes down the spark of hope, annoyed with himself for falling for Hakyeon’s charms and for being so naive; Hakyeon was probably just looking around and he didn’t spot anything interesting. It wasn’t the first time he left the shop without making a trade. Taekwoon sighs and turns the sign to indicate ‘closed’ - he’s really in need of that coffee now.

****

He really doesn’t like the base, he thinks as he makes his way through the crowd of aliens, people, creatures you can only see here. He’s never been far through the galaxy, let alone travelled out of it — his parents barely had enough money to send him away from the dying Earth when he was just a teenage boy. He’s made enough money to travel back and bring them here, but even though he sometimes misses family, people, anyone really, logically, he knows it’s too late; the planet is said to be desolated. It hurts to think about it, so he doesn’t. He’s moved on from Earth and he’s trying his best to deal with the loneliness.

The base is awful, really, with the foul air that only gets replenished every ten minutes, the vents and the converters working all around the clock to make living in such a bustling place more bearable. It doesn’t help much, though, and Taekwoon always scrunches his nose and omits going out of his shop as much as he can. Today, though, he’s needed at the bank, the monthly meeting he has with Jaehwan over paying back the loan for his shop.

He lets out a sigh of relief when he’s out of the streets and inside the cool building — one of the few with their own air support. It would be nice, working here, Taekwoon’s thought many times, but he’s not the type for paper work and suits.

Jaehwan greets him with a big grin and a warm handshake, and Taekwoon can’t help but smile back. He’s always liked Jaehwan, he’s not anything like your typical banker you can come across at the base. He’s funny, more driven by morale than rules, and Taekwoon has found out that he’s also a rather fun drinking partner. But there’s still some reserve Taekwoon can’t shed, he can’t really call Jaehwan a close friend. Maybe it’s Jaehwan’s job or the way he talks about space pirates like they’re walking, or rather flying, trouble. Or maybe it’s simply the fact Taekwoon sometimes makes very much illegal trades Jaehwan shouldn’t know about— either way, Taekwoon is always careful around him.

“Hey, Taekwoon. Everything’s good?” he asks with a grin and Taekwoon nods wordlessly, but not without a smile on his lips. Jaehwan’s grin widens, and Taekwoon takes the seat in front of the desk.

“I see you’ve paid back a good amount this month,” Jaehwan immediately starts, looking down at his papers, and Taekwoon shifts on his seat. Jaehwan’s eyes come back up to look at him, and there’s curiosity and maybe, Taekwoon isn’t sure, some suspicion. “Had some good customers?”

Taekwoon doesn’t say that it was just three, one of which was a Polystrat with a rather big amount of explosive Knorcattle dung that Taekwoon was able to sell for two times the price he’d gotten it for, with a safe passage through customs — a rather good deal for something that explodes at the smallest contact with air. He smiles at the memory of how scared he was; if there’s one thing his job brings him it’s enough challenges to last a lifetime.

“More than usual,” is the answer he gives Jaehwan. He doubts Jaehwan has ever even heard of Knorcattle dung, and Taekwoon isn’t about to explain it to him.

Jaehwan nods, but there’s something in his eyes that tells Taekwoon he’s not fully convinced. It’s nothing unusual, though, Jaehwan always has been a little too curious for his own good. At least he’s smart enough to never come to Taekwoon’s neighbourhood. There are too many people and creatures near the market the officials wouldn’t want to get involved with. It could cost them their lives.

“Alright. Do you want to keep paying at that rate or shall we just go with the usual one? I guess a higher rate would take the loan off your shoulders faster, but if business gets slow…” Jaehwan trails off, looking at Taekwoon with a contemplating expression. Taekwoon purses his lips and weighs his options. He’s got enough money stored away to keep up the higher pay back rate, but he doesn’t want to make Jaehwan suspicious.

“Let’s keep it at the old one,” he decides, and Jaehwan looks at him for a moment before giving him a nod and marking something down on his papers. Better safe than sorry, Taekwoon thinks.

“Good. Then I guess everything’s settled. I’ll see you next month? Same date, same time.” Jaehwan smiles again, and Taekwoon shakes his hand with a small non committing smile of his own.

“See you, Jaehwan.” And with that’s back out of Jaehwan’s office and through the door into the heavily bustling streets outside; he can feel Jaehwan’s eyes on him through the glass walls of the bank’s building until he turns around the corner of the next street.

****

Days go by the way Taekwoon feels they will always be; watching people and creatures pass his window with the occasional hooded customer coming in with a jingle through the front door. Business is good, not too slow but not too busy either, he earns just the right amount to keep the curious eyes of the guards and officials away from his shop.

Taekwoon’s shop is placed close to the slums, but far enough to keep him out of most of the trouble they bring, something he’s more pleased with now than he was when he started. It keeps the troublemakers away. Inhabitants of the slums are too curious and chatty for their own good, not to mention they often steal. Here, Taekwoon finds that people are civil — they never ask too much.

Despite the base having become his home, he feels far from being at home. It’s a feeling he doesn’t really remember anymore, and the cramped flat just above his shop doesn’t help to refresh his memory. It’s not too shabby, but it’s far from nice, and there are days when Taekwoon dreams of traveling through space, living in his spaceship. He could save up to buy one, has thought about it many times, but there’s something holding him back. He doesn’t know what it is, can’t put his finger on it. Maybe he’s too scared; he knows how dangerous the space is. Maybe he’s one of those people who dream about traveling but never get around to doing it, too wound up in their daily lives. Either way, he stays, no matter how unhappy he is here.

****

It’s a couple of weeks later when Hakyeon comes back. Taekwoon doesn’t see him the day he docks at the base, only hears rumors — rumors are always the first thing announcing Hakyeon’s return. Sometimes they’re so unbelievable Taekwoon wonders if they’re a fidget of Hakyeon’s imagination that he tells the first person he comes in contact with just for fun. Especially since despite the rumors, Hakyeon’s never even gotten into trouble with the officials. But then he knows first hand what unthinkable items Hakyeon is able to get his hands on. He is dangerous, no doubt. It might be that the officials are simply scared of him; they’re only willing to control things that can’t get them killed.

He doesn’t see Hakyeon for a few days, but he hears tales of the things he’s brought back and the bounty that’s increased on his head; it’s another reason why Taekwoon is suspicious of Hakyeon coming to the base at all. It might be a neutral ground, the laws allowing safe passage for anyone who needs it, but there’s still a rather important rule not to cause trouble.

It’s a calm late afternoon when Hakyeon visits. Taekwoon is cleaning the counter top meticulously after the visit of an Octogrant whose eight arms were covered in the most vile blue slime Taekwoon’s ever seen, when the front door jingles with such a force that he looks up from the task at hand.

This time, Hakyeon’s silver hair isn’t obstructed by his hood, falling freely into his eyes and framing the golden brown color of his skin to perfection. He looks tired, even Taekwoon can tell, but there’s a soft smile on his lips as he looks around the shop for anything interesting. Taekwoon can’t help but smile benignly, trying to hide his expression by looking back down at the counter that he’s scrubbing with a little more fervour now as Hakyeon turns to him and comes closer.

Hakyeon looks at the soaked counter with a laugh bubbling up his throat, eyes taking in the sight of Taekwoon in an apron he put on to keep the remnants of the slime off of his clothes — Taekwoon can feel Hakyeon’s eyes rake over his body, and the intense gaze is tinting his cheeks a slight pink.

“Well, don’t you look…” Hakyeon starts, voice a little raspy as he leans on the part of the counter that’s free of the blue gooey substance, “dashing.” Taekwoon looks up at Hakyeon’s eyes, a little startled, and the blush on his cheeks only intensifies.

“Don’t fuck with me, Hakyeon. Is that your way of saying ‘hello’?” he grumbles, more out of anger at himself than Hakyeon, because he’s still not entirely unaffected by Hakyeon’s flirting. Hakyeon chuckles lowly, watching with amusement as Taekwoon rinses the rag before he starts scrubbing again.

“It would be if you’d let me,“ the pirate retorts, and there’s a glint in his eyes that Taekwoon tries hard to ignore. “Have you missed me?”

Taekwoon lets out a sound between a grunt and a snort, glancing at Hakyeon before checking the counter top for more slime. “Given the various creatures coming by every day, a familiar face is something to look forward to. Especially if it’s clean.”

Hakyeon laughs, and it’s warm and clear. Taekwoon doesn’t get to see him relaxed often, and it’s a sight that makes him feel warm inside. In front of how many people can Hakyeon be relaxed, after all? Taekwoon guesses that the number isn’t high.

“Glad you noticed. I took a bath this morning, especially for you,” Hakyeon says with a grin. Taekwoon takes in his round cheeks and his crescent eyes and thinks that sometimes Hakyeon looks like he really doesn’t fit his job.

“For me? Is there anything else you did, or have, for me?” Taekwoon chuckles, eyeing Hakyeon curiously.

Despite the more than good income Taekwoon gets from all the customers selling things at his shop, Hakyeon’s by far the most profitable. He’s one of the few that travel long and travel far, not afraid of the dangers that lie in the wake of rare objects and substances. Taekwoon remembers that one time Hakyeon had come back to him with the crown jewel of the Ghar kingdom, a couple of cuts on his face and the smuggest grin he’d ever seen. He still can’t believe to this day that the prince of the kingdom himself had come to his shop to retrieve it, and Taekwoon only got out of the ordeal in one piece because he assured His Majesty that he was not told what it was when he bought it. It was a lie — Hakyeon never misses an opportunity to boast — but it saved his life and brought him a small fortune because he cooperated willingly.

“Oh, I could do a lot, Taekwoonie. But as to what I have, I fear it’s not much.” Hakyeon says with a shrug, one of his hands digging in his pocket. He fishes out three little stones, red and fiery and glowing as if they are emitting light; Taekwoon’s lips part in surprise.

“A—are these—“

“Aedystian fire emeralds, yes,” Hakyeon says with a happy smile and a look that tells Taekwoon exactly how proud he is to have dug these up. “I found them while looking for something a lot more valuable, but I think they’re good enough for you, aren’t they?”

Taekwoon still can’t quite believe they’re real as he takes one of the stones into his palm. They’re light and cool to the touch and completely harmless by themselves, but Taekwoon knows that if woven into the right materials, the power of only one of them would be enough to destroy an entire city.

“How did you find these?” he asks, suspicious, eyes narrowing at Hakyeon; the pirate simple shrugs.

“I simply happened to stumble over them,” he says evasively, and Taekwoon has to bite his lip to keep himself from asking. The less he knows the better it is for him.

“Well, I don’t have enough money here to take them off of you,” he says slowly, doing the math in his head. “I’d need to sell something first, and that could take a couple of days. How long are you staying?”

Hakyeon shrugs. “I’m not sure yet,” he starts, and he shifts his eyes to meet Taekwoon’s. His eyes are soft and deep brown, shining golden in the dim light of the lamp above. “But don’t worry. I don’t want any money for them.”

Taekwoon’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise — if Hakyeon bringing in these gems wasn’t unbelievable all by itself, him not wanting any money for them sure has Taekwoon completely lost.

“Are you out of your mind?” the words fall from Taekwoon’s lips without thinking, eyes disbelieving. Hakyeon just laughs half heartedly, and there’s a sad smile on his face when he looks back at Taekwoon.

“I can’t even give you a small thank you present without you getting all suspicious?” he asks, and his voice has a sour edge to it. He seems sincere, and Taekwoon almost feels bad for reacting this way — but it’s Hakyeon. Even if he didn’t have the bad reputation, Hakyeon’s still a pirate. And pirates never give things for free.

“I—“ Taekwoon starts, but he doesn’t know what to say. He looks down at the slowly drying surface of the counter, contemplating. He hears Hakyeon sigh.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” he says, and Taekwoon can hear his voice is slightly strangled. He looks up, in time to see Hakyeon put on his hood and move to the door; he wants to say something but no words come out.

“You know where to find me,” Hakyeon says with a sad smile before he’s out through the door, Taekwoon’s eyes following him in complete shock.

He looks back down at the three red stones on his counter, trying to put his thoughts together — but nothing seems to make sense. He takes the little gems and hides them securely in one of the safes he keeps under his counter before he straightens himself back up, mind blank.

Taekwoon walks around the counter, and up to the front door, switching the sign to ‘closed’. Everything feels just a little too confusing right now for more customers, and he isn’t even sure what he’s supposed to do after what’s just happened. He walks back to the counter to lean against it, eyes unfocused as he tries to clear his thoughts.

Why did Hakyeon give him these stones? Was it really only a simple present? Taekwoon doesn’t know. Though he prides himself secretly in his shop being the one Hakyeon returns to over and over, Taekwoon has a hard time to believe that it holds any meaning for Hakyeon. But, as far as he knows, he has nothing Hakyeon could want in return — his only interesting goods are far below the value of the fire emeralds.

‘Maybe he really likes you.’

The thought comes despite his reason; it makes him shake his head fervently, trying to make it go away. Hakyeon isn’t like that, has never been. Taekwoon has heard the rumors, the reputation Hakyeon has when it comes to relationships or — much more frequently — short term affairs. They never last, and they are either just for sex or for the purpose of getting something he’s chasing after. Taekwoon isn’t even sure if he’s ever heard Hakyeon say that he liked someone.

But then why? If he really doesn’t want anything in return, why Taekwoon? It doesn’t make sense.

Taekwoon’s heart is beating hard in his chest, the flow of the blood in his ears making him dizzy. What if that really was Hakyeon’s way of showing him that, for once, he was being serious? That it wasn’t simple flirting that brought him back time and time again, even when sometimes months lay between their meetings. It’s a thought that has Taekwoon’s cheeks burn and his fingers tremble. Could he really dare to believe that he was the one person Hakyeon didn’t want to figuratively fuck over?

Before Taekwoon knows what he’s doing, his hand is grabbing his coat hanging behind the counter, and he’s moving through the front door. The keys in his hands are clinging as he tries to lock up his shop with trembling hands; he needs to find Hakyeon. He needs answers.

He doesn’t even know in which direction he’s running as he makes his way through the crowd, bumping into various alien life forms he doesn’t pay attention to — there’s only one thought on his mind as he makes for the centre parts of the city, and that’s finding Hakyeon.

****

He’s tired when he drags himself through the front door of his shop again, muscles aching and damp strands of hair sticking to his forehead. Taekwoon can tell it’s late, far into the night, even with the artificial light illuminating the city all year round. He doesn’t know what he feels as he walks into the back of the shop, throwing his coat into one of the corners of the dark room. He walks up the stairs to the flat above and takes a long shower, trying to relax and clear his thoughts a bit. The moment he reaches his bedroom he lets himself fall onto the mattress, face down in his pillows.

He’s been looking for Hakyeon for hours, so long that he’s lost track of time until his legs almost gave out, running through all the places in the city he knows he frequents often. But there was no trace of him, nowhere, and it made an angry fire build inside Taekwoon’s chest.

‘Why did you say that I knew where to find you… I don’t.’

He shifts on his bed so he’s facing the ceiling, the lights on the street outside dimming for the night. He can see the shadows of the passing bodies dance along in front of his eyes, can hear the noises of the base despite the closed window. Did Hakyeon really want Taekwoon to find him?

Taekwoon groans, throwing one of his arms across his eyes in an attempt to clear his thoughts. He feels both exhausted and wide awake, muscles so tired he doesn’t know if he can move for the rest of the week. He really should sleep, he thinks, but his mind isn’t calming down.

He sighs deeply as he sits up, his back against the wall, staring at nothing in particular. He wonders where Hakyeon is and if he’s safe — he lets out a low and dry chuckle at the thought. Despite everything he can’t seem to stay angry at Hakyeon for long, a thought that brings a bitter taste onto his tongue. He shouldn’t care.

But Taekwoon does care. Despite his obvious flirting and his reputation, Hakyeon’s always been nice to him. Almost too nice. Taekwoon feels trapped, because Hakyeon is unpredictable and he doesn’t know if he’s gotten himself over his head in something that he should back out of; but then he remembers that there’s nothing that’s holding him. Nothing but Hakyeon, his smile and that twinkle in his eyes that makes Taekwoon think of distant worlds and places. The places he’s never going to see.

There’s a sudden clatter against his window, and Taekwoon gets so startled he almost falls off his bed. Then the knocking turns soft but insistent. Taekwoon turns his head to look for the source.

His heart leaps in his chest when he sees Hakyeon hanging in front of his window, holding himself up by one arm on the roof above the window, the other carefully knocking on the glass. Taekwoon stands up, unsure what he’s supposed to do; still, he moves closer, looking Hakyeon in the eye.

Neither of them move for a second, eyes locked as if having a silent conversation, and after a moment Taekwoon looks away, lips forming a thin line. But his hands seem to move on their own, turning the handle to let Hakyeon in, and the pirate jumps through his window in one swift motion before Taekwoon closes it again.

There’s a moment of silence before Taekwoon speaks, concentrating to get the words out. “Why are you here?”

He expects Hakyeon to make a joke, to brush it off with a laugh as he always does. But he doesn’t, instead he looks solemnly at the ground, and then into Taekwoon’s eyes as he speaks.

“I heard you were looking for me,” he says, eyebrows drawn together as if confused. Taekwoon doesn’t understand, because he’s the one who’s confused by Hakyeon’s antics and his completely off the charts behaviour. There’s a ball of anger rising inside of him again, and he tries to keep his voice down.

“No shit. I ran through half of the town searching for you!”

Hakyeon’s eyebrows furrow a little bit further; he looks taken aback. “Why?”

The word is enough to make the anger inside of Taekwoon boil over, burning all of his restraints.

“Why? Why? You turn up, give me some of the most sought out materials in this galaxy, and don’t even want pay? There is no pirate in history that’s given away valuable objects as a present, not if he is able to get money for them! And you show up, basically throw them on my counter, and expect me to accept it without further questions? Do you think I’m stupid?”

Taekwoon’s chest is rising and falling fast, his burst out leaving him panting, glaring at Hakyeon to give him an explanation. His hands are balled into fists by his sides, shaking from the tornado of his emotions currently storming inside of him. Hakyeon looks down, and it’s the first time Taekwoon has ever seen him look hurt.

“No,” he whispers then, a tone so soft and insecure that Taekwoon isn’t sure he heard it right. “I don’t think you’re stupid at all.” He glances up, brown eyes a whirl of emotions, and Taekwoon is sure if he’s never seen Hakyeon this affected by anything.

“Why do you think I keep coming back to this base and to this shop? Don’t you think that, for my own safety, it would be smarter to keep changing the place?” Hakyeon starts, voice shaking as much as his hands. “Did you really think I came back time and time again just to sell you stuff? Come on, Taekwoon, you know me better than that!”

Does he? Taekwoon isn’t sure. He feels his heart beating rapidly in his chest as he tries to process Hakyeon’s words, tries to make sense of the things he’s saying. Of course, he did think it weird, but Hakyeon is Hakyeon, he likes living reckless. He’s never dared to think that… it was because of him… what could someone like Hakyeon see in him anyway?

They’re silent for a moment, both of them trying to catch their breath and rearrange their thoughts. There’s a sudden tingling sensation in Taekwoon’s stomach, making him feel funny as it rises up to his chest; it’s almost nauseating. The hope is so strong it’s painful, and he doesn’t know what to say.

He looks up at Hakyeon with questions in his eyes, and he sees Hakyeon looking back at him, his expression soft and defeated.

“I like you, Taekwoon. Is that really so hard to believe?”

And when Hakyeon says it just like that, it suddenly isn’t. It seems like more than Taekwoon could hope for, the tingling sensation spreading to his fingertips, numbing his mind. He feels his chest inflate, legs giving way as he stumbles to sit down on the bed to keep himself steady. It’s only when he looks up at Hakyeon, whose eyes are scanning his face as relief seems to wash over him, that Taekwoon realizes he’s smiling.

“Do you really?” he asks, soft and almost a whisper, because no matter what Hakyeon says it’s definitely hard to believe. He sees Hakyeon chuckle, the sound making his stomach flip because it’s so much more like Hakyeon than the anxiousness that was on his face earlier.

Hakyeon doesn’t answer right away, only takes a couple of steps towards Taekwoon until he’s standing right in front of him, their legs touching. Taekwoon looks up, just enough that he can see the small smile dancing around Hakyeon’s lips and the crescent moons of his eyes in the dim light coming from outside. He’s prepared when Hakyeon leans down, one of his hands coming up around Taekwoon’s neck to steady him, and their eyes meet for a second before they close, Hakyeon’s lips pressing against Taekwoon’s.

It’s like whatever magic spell that was holding them in place breaks, a shower washing over the both of them as their lips turn eager, moving together impatiently. Taekwoon’s hands tug at the arms of Hakyeon’s cloak, pressing into the material with such force his joints turn white. Hakyeon’s hands wind through Taekwoon’s hair as their kiss deepens, their tongues touching and coming together sensually.

Taekwoon doesn’t care how fast it happens, doesn’t think as Hakyeon works his hands under his shirt, pulling it over his head. There’s a little nudge in the back of his mind that tells him to go slower, take it easy, but his fingers are urgent on the buttons of Hakyeon’s hood.

Hakyeon takes a step back to take it off, along with his coat and his gear, leaving him in his white muscle shirt which is dazzling against his tanned skin. Taekwoon doesn’t know where to look first, being the first time to see Hakyeon wearing anything less than his outside attire, and his eyes rake over his body with a hunger he didn’t know he was harbouring.

Hakyeon’s body is lean, muscular in a way that makes him look swift. He’s slimmer than Taekwoon, but he looks stronger, every move of his body making the muscles underneath his skin ripple. Taekwoon licks his lips as he watches Hakyeon come closer again, leaning over him to press another kiss to his lips.

“We probably should… slow down…" Hakyeon whispers, pressing one, two, three kisses on his lips in a row; Taekwoon nods in agreement, but he doesn’t stop kissing back, one of his hands coming up to card through Hakyeon’s hair, hold him closer.

“But as reasonable as that sounds, I don’t think I can wait much longer,” Hakyeon breathes against Taekwoon’s lips, and before he knows it, Taekwoon is pushed back on the bed with Hakyeon hovering over him, a wide grin on his face. Taekwoon’s heart beats fast in his chest, and he can feel Hakyeon’s hands around his wrists — strangely enough it excites him, being held down like this, unable to move. Then Hakyeon moves his hips just a little, a teasing, circling motion, and Taekwoon’s eyes close and a groan falls from his lips.

“Ah, Ha—Hakyeon—“ Taekwoon starts but he’s immediately quieted by Hakyeon’s lips on his, demanding but soft, and Taekwoon can’t help but melt into the kiss. He tries to buck his hips up against Hakyeon, yearning for the delicious friction, but suddenly there’s a hand on his hip and a mischievous smile on Hakyeon lips.

“Ah-ah. Don’t move.”

Taekwoon’s feels a pleasant shiver run down his spine, his face turning warm, and he closes his eyes as Hakyeon starts to kiss down his jaw and throat; his lips against Taekwoon’s skin feel like fire, leaving a trail of burning sensation in their wake. Taekwoon shudders, feeling his blood rush south, and a little whine falls from his lips when Hakyeon sucks on his nipple, his tongue firm but teasing.

Hakyeon’s touches make his head spin, from the licks and kisses down his chest to the touches of his fingers along his skin, digging into the curves and dips of his body. He barely notices all of their clothes being discarded, until he feels Hakyeon’s breath ghost along his thigh; he jerks his head up a little, catching Hakyeon’s eye.

The bite is playful, not enough to hurt but enough to make Taekwoon’s already hard cock twitch. He winds his fingers into Hakyeon’s hair, letting out a shaky breath as the pirate nibs along his skin, marking him.

It seems Hakyeon is just as intense in bed as he is at any other time and Taekwoon finds he likes it, more than he’d ever suspect. It’s only when Hakyeon pushes his hands away when he tries to run them along Hakyeon’s body that Taekwoon’s brows furrow, confused eyes looking back at Hakyeon.

“Don’t. Move. I’ll take care of you.”

The words are stressed, almost on order, and though to his surprise he finds the commanding tone a turn on, the instruction makes frustration burn in the pit of Taekwoon’s stomach. He tries to speak, to say how much he wants to touch Hakyeon, but suddenly there’s a tongue running down between his legs and every thought Taekwoon has gets crumbled to pieces.

The sensation is intimate, the way Hakyeon runs his tongue along his entrance, slicking him up, and Taekwoon feels his face flush with every little noise and breath that’s rushing past his lips. He can’t help but claw his fingers into the sheets, holding them tight as Hakyeon works his tongue around his opening. He can feel the muscle dip in, the feeling so foreign yet delicious he can’t help but jerk his hips a little, crying out.

One of Hakyeon’s hands runs along his thigh in soothing patterns, the touch tingling on Taekwoon’s skin; and then suddenly one of Hakyeon’s fingers pushes in beside his tongue, covered in something cool and slick, and Taekwoon whines a little at the sensation of being filled.

His mind spins, feeling like he’s in the middle of the ocean, drowning in waves of pleasure and forgetting to breathe. He barely notices the second, third finger getting pushed along except for the uncomfortable stretch. Hakyeon’s mouth moves up to lick up his cock as he moves them inside of him, careful but impatient.

Taekwoon feels like he’s already a mess, panting and whining so loud he doesn’t know how to stop — if only he could touch Hakyeon, he thinks. The little angry fire licks at his insides again, but at the same time the idea that he can stop himself from moving just because Hakyeon told him not to makes him moan a little louder.

“I didn’t know you were so vocal,” Hakyeon teases as he takes his fingers out, kissing back up Taekwoon’s chest. “I wonder how much more of these noises I can draw out of you.”

Taekwoon tries to speak, tries to say ‘shut up and get along with it’, but no words come out as Hakyeon’s hands dig into his hip to hold him in place. Taekwoon’s heart is beating so loud in his chest it feels like he’ll explode, but then Hakyeon angles his hips to Taekwoon and starts pushing in, and Taekwoon entirely forgets how to breathe.

Hakyeon pushes in slowly, and Taekwoon feels his insides clench around Hakyeon’s cock, hears him groan at the sensation. Taekwoon’s fingers grip the sheets harder, the stretch both welcome and painful, making his legs tremble. He feels full, so full, and he wonders how Hakyeon is going to move. He can’t help but moan when Hakyeon buries himself in him to the hilt. Hakyeon leans down to capture Taekwoon’s lips in a kiss, messy with teeth and tongue, too much all at once for Taekwoon to stay focused. He then breaks the kiss and leans his forehead against Taekwoon’s, eyes looking into his, until Taekwoon finally speaks.

“You can—“ he starts, but it’s enough for Hakyeon to follow. He finally moves, going slow the first couple of thrusts, only to increase the speed gradually, snapping his hips into Taekwoon’s. Taekwoon can feel his breath ghost over his face, can smell Hakyeon’s scent feel his warmth so close to him, all over him; the feeling of building pleasure is intense, and it has Taekwoon close his eyes and lean his head back against the sheets, lips parted.

Hakyeon thrusts into him in deep strokes, so deep Taekwoon sees stars and forgets all the previous pain as his body rocks along in bliss. Noises, moans and whines flow past his lips without Taekwoon being able to process them, the feeling of Hakyeon inside of him better than anything he’s ever felt.

Hakyeon rests his head against Taekwoon’s shoulder as he shifts his angle a little bit, fucks him harder and faster, trailing open mouthed kisses along his collarbone. Taekwoon feels dizzy, feels his mind soar and his stomach tighten gradually, every thrust of Hakyeon’s hips into him throwing him closer and closer to the edge.

“Look at me,” Hakyeon says then, voice rough and deep and Taekwoon turns his head to comply, their lips brushing together as Hakyeon’s hips snap forward and deep into Taekwoon, making him cry out in pleasure. Hakyeon chuckles against Taekwoon’s lips as he drives himself into that spot over and over and over again, until Taekwoon’s limbs tremble and his mouth is parted in ecstasy, high moans and breathy whines filling the air around them.

Taekwoon doesn’t hold out long, every time Hakyeon buries himself into him his whole body tenses in pleasure; he comes with such an intensity that he sees white, without Hakyeon touching him even once. It makes Hakyeon groan into his ear; with Taekwoon tightening around him so hard it only takes Hakyeon a couple of more thrusts before he comes with a moan. He bites and at the junction of Taekwoon’s neck, releasing inside of Taekwoon with only a few shallow thrusts.

None of them moves, heavy breaths making their chests rise and fall in sync as they bathe in the afterglow of what has just happened. Taekwoon’s heart is still beating fast, and he flushes, positive that Hakyeon can hear each and every one of its beats.

Hakyeon lifts his head a little but doesn’t say anything, instead pressing kisses to Taekwoon’s skin and nibbling at his jaw until he reaches his earlobe. There’s a shudder running down Taekwoon’s spine and he finally lets go of the sheets, knuckles white, reaching out to run his fingers along the small of Hakyeon’s back.

“You make such pretty sounds,” Hakyeon whispers into his ear then, fingers tracing patterns on Taekwoon’s chest; Taekwoon feels his insides tighten in embarrassment, feels his cheeks burning hotter as he opens his lips in an attempt to protest — but there’s one of Hakyeon’s fingers shushing him, and Taekwoon turns his head to meet Hakyeon’s eyes.

“We’ve done enough talking for today,” Hakyeon comments as he presses a kiss to Taekwoon’s lips and smiles, soft and radiating. “How about you ride me for round two?”

Taekwoon doesn’t trust his voice quite yet, but there’s a glint in Hakyeon’s eyes that he knows is reflected in his own; he’s definitely not saying no to a chance to finally touch Hakyeon as much as he likes.

***

The increasing noise on the street outside wakes Taekwoon late in the morning. He feels sore, and for a second he doesn’t quite remember the happenings of the night, until he moves and suddenly, Hakyeon’s image flashes before his eyes — sweaty, whispering things into Taekwoon’s ear he’s never heard anyone say before, touching and kissing him all over. The feeling of Hakyeon’s skin is still vivid against his, the marks he’s left on him tingling pleasantly.

He sits up with a jolt, feeling his lower back hurt a little at the sudden movement — a blush creeps up his cheeks at the memories of the night, making Taekwoon bury his face in his hands in embarrassment. He looks to the side, half expecting Hakyeon to still be there, lying next to him. Still, he knows Hakyeon far too well to know that he won’t be, but he can’t stop the slight disappointment settling in his stomach when he sees his bed empty.

Taekwoon gets up from the bed, fishing around the room for some clothes. He pulls a shirt over his head as he makes his way down to the shop; it’s late, and he should have opened the shop a couple of hours ago. He stifles a yawn as he moves down the stairs, turning on the coffee machine before he walks through the curtains to the front of the shop — and what he sees stops him dead in his tracks, the last remnants of sleep forcefully ripped from him.

The shop is in disarray, goods lying on the floor and scattered across the counter top — Taekwoon has never seen anything like it before. He walks through the mess carefully, checking his wares and looking for something missing; his heart beats fast in his chest, his eyes wide with anxiousness. He picks up a couple of old engineering books that have been thrown carelessly to the ground, straightens some of the test glasses with liquid night shade, slowly taking in the havoc that reaped through his shop.

He tells himself that this must have been a coincidence, something that happened after Hakyeon left his shop, but a bitter, nauseating pressure sets itself in his stomach, unwilling to disappear. This seems like exactly the type of thing one would expect Hakyeon to do.

He moves slowly to the counter, eyes wide and lips pressed together in an attempt to keep himself from panicking; the Aedystian fire emeralds are still in the safe, untouched, and Taekwoon can’t tell if there’s anything missing at all. When he tries to clean up the scattered things on his counter, his fingers suddenly touch paper; a letter, he notices. With shaky fingers, he brings it up to his eyes to read it.

I’m sorry, Taekwoon.  
I’ve been looking for the tomb key all over the galaxy, and believe me, I wasn’t pleased when I found out that it was sold to you. But I’ve been paid to get it, and a job’s a job, right? Keep the fire gems, they should be enough to cover your losses. I’ll be out of the base when you read this.

Take care.

The letter doesn’t have a signature, but Taekwoon doesn’t need one to know who wrote it. His hands start to shake, the letter between his hands ripping a little at the bottom; but Taekwoon can’t bring himself to care. The nauseating feeling in his stomach grows, takes over his entire body in the split of a second, and Taekwoon feels so dizzy he has to lean against the counter to steady himself.

The tomb key. So there was an ulterior motive, after all.

Taekwoon tries to breathe, to keep the panic attack that is threatening to take over him at bay. His hand crumbles the letter and he hits the counter with such pent up force he wouldn’t be surprised if he cracked one of his knuckles. But Taekwoon doesn’t care, doesn’t feel the pain — he feels betrayed, used, disgusted with himself, cursing himself for daring to think Hakyeon actually meant anything he said.

He’s quiet for a moment, unable to move as he feels the panic subside, a numb feeling of emptiness following after. Of course it had to end up like this. He had the suspicion all along, there was no way Hakyeon’s nature could change. He’s a pirate, and Taekwoon was stupid enough to trust him. He had it coming. He wants to but he doesn’t let himself cry; he has no reason to feel sorry for himself when he only can blame his own naivety for what happened.

The whistle of the coffee machine being ready brings him out of his thoughts, and by the time he’s chucked down two cups of coffee, the betrayal subsides enough to give room for anger. He tries to ignore the stinging feeling at his insides, the burning want to find Hakyeon and beat him senseless. Instead, he goes back to the shop to try and clean up enough to be able to open it for the rest of the day. He needs a distraction, and for once he finds himself looking forward to customers, hoping for the void that’s suddenly opening right in the middle of his chest to stop from growing minute by minute.

****

Weeks go by without Taekwoon hearing anything about Hakyeon. Not on the streets, not from the officials; there’s is no mention of him at all. Taekwoon thinks it’s better that way, because he doesn’t need to think about him any more than he already does. Business is going well, but it doesn’t help Taekwoon when the feeling of being betrayed sinks in again, a couple of days after the incident — incident, he calls it now, because it was nothing more than that. A job. The word feels bitter on Taekwoon’s tongue, and he presses his lips together in an attempt to swallow it down, but the taste still lingers, never leaving him completely.

Instead of letting his emotions control him, Taekwoon tries to read. He tries to find out more about the gyromite tomb key, its origins and its meaning. When he bought it, he thought it a regular item — every family on Gyronia has one in their house. It’s like a family crest, something that legitimates a family’s origins, the titles they hold; it contains the family’s entire history. Taekwoon finds it weird, how such important information is all held in one little ball of metal. But none of this explains why Hakyeon wanted it so bad.

The knowledge doesn’t make Taekwoon feel better; instead, he feels even more foolish than before. He should have never bought it in the first place, should have made these inquiries before going through with the deal. But he can’t change the past. Day after day all he wishes for is leaving the base, going somewhere far away.

Jaehwan notices Taekwoon’s change in disposition at their next meeting, eyeing him up and down suspiciously as he goes over his payments.

“You’ve paid back quite a lot of your loan in the past few weeks,” he starts when Taekwoon sits down in the chair in front of him, looking tired and grim. He catches Taekwoon’s gaze, and he’s not smiling as he usually is. “Three monthly payments to be exact. How did you get all that money?”

Taekwoon just shrugs, not feeling inclined to let Jaehwan know where the money is coming from; he’s having enough problems as it is. “I’ve been saving for a while. I just want to get it over with.”

Jaehwan doesn’t say anything, something that’s uncharacteristic; Taekwoon glances up and he sees him with a thoughtful expression, looking at Taekwoon as if he’s debating whether he’s telling the truth. In the end, he lets out a sigh, eyes almost piercing.

“Look. I’ll believe you, but… you can’t just do it without warning me first. I know there are people—“ he looks around his cubicle before he leans in over his desk, lowering his voice, “—people that have been suspecting you of illegal activity.”

Taekwoon tenses a little bit, but he doesn’t say a word. Jaehwan’s eyes soften, and he gives him a sympathetic look.

“I don’t really care, believe me. I know you’re a decent guy, Taekwoon, and I owe you for that one time you saved my ass from getting kicked by that giant Gallader.” He chuckles a little, and the corners of Taekwoon’s mouth twitch unnoticeably at the memory, but he doesn’t smile. “You’re more than halfway done with your payments. Don’t fuck it up now.”

Taekwoon eyes Jaehwan for a long moment, before he letting out a sigh. He knows Jaehwan is right. If he really wants to get away from everything, he needs to do it by following the rules and with as little attention on himself as possible. He tries to smile, thanking Jaehwan for helping him, but it still feels forced, and the empty feeling in his stomach doesn’t go away.

“Let’s get a drink sometime, alright?” Jaehwan calls after him as Taekwoon makes his way to the door. He turns to give Jaehwan a small smile and a nod but he knows that he won’t be taking Jaehwan up on that offer, not anytime soon.

****

Taekwoon doesn’t pay attention to the flow of time, living from day to day with the same dooming feeling gnawing at his stomach. The base is crowded and lively as usual, the air as foul and used as always, but now, without the prospect of an awaited visitor, it feels duller with each passing day.

Taekwoon tries not to think about it, going on with his business as usual; he’s gotten a couple of good deals that brought in enough money to end his loan and buy a small ship, even though he knows that he can’t do it right away. It’s only a matter of time, he tells himself, before he’s leaving and going to another place; but the uncertainty of where to go and what he’ll do then keeps him in place, the vastness of the universe making him feel small and insignificant.

He’s had a busy morning, three sellers and two buyers, with more heated negotiations on some of the prices than Taekwoon would have liked. But he has experience, and the years dealing with all kinds of alien creatures and cultures give him a base of argumentation that has most of his customers agree to his offers.

He’s about to take his long awaited lunch break when the front door jingles, over and over and over again, not relenting even when he hears the door shut. He looks up, eyes widening in surprise at the six giant hooded figures standing in the doorway, their heads repeatedly hitting the bell as they look at him, waiting. There’s a feeling of wariness prickling down his spine, but he tries to stay calm.

“Can I help you?” he asks, and his voice is steady enough not to betray the foreboding feeling that’s settling in the pit of his stomach. The figures move forward until they’re standing in a circle around the counter, so tall and wide they obstruct every view from the counter to the street.

“Uhm,” Taekwoon starts, looking at the faces that he can now make out from under the cloaks; their leathery skin is ash grey, their squared jaws littered with yellow dots, and their irises are of such a shining white against the black of their eyes that Taekwoon feels blinded.

“You have something of ours,“ one of the creatures says, the sound low and hissing, like a snake. “We want it back.”

Taekwoon looks at them, confused. He isn’t sure what this is about. They seem to believe he should know what they are talking about — but he doesn’t.

“What?” Taekwoon replies softly, eyes looking between the six pairs strained on him. He isn’t sure how to react, and he feels the air in the room getting more tense by the second. One of the creatures to his right hisses, the sound sending a cold shiver down Taekwoon’s spine, and he recognizes it’s supposed to be a threat.

“The tomb key. Give it to us.”

This time it’s the one right in front of him that spoke, white eyes piercing through Taekwoon’s, making his head throb; he can feel the pressure in his head, and he wonders if it’s just a headache or some form of energy these creatures are emitting — he feels like his forehead might burst.

“I— I don’t have it!” he says, louder than he intended; but it his reply only makes the pain sharper, one of the creatures taking a step forward and extending his arm, his grey, leathery hand a foot away from Taekwoon’s face.

He feels the sudden pressure against his throat, his breath being knocked out of his lungs; his heart rate is increasing, pounding against his ribcage in fear, the adrenaline pumping through his body is cold waves. Taekwoon’s fingers tremble when he tries to reach for the hand, make it stop, but the pressure on his throat only increases.

“Liar. It was sold to you. You have no right to even touch the tomb key of our people — it’s a sacred artefact!” The hissing of the creatures was deadly, the anger behind the words making Taekwoon’s mind spin. He tries to speak, and he can feel the pressure on his throat from the Gyromian’s grip relent just enough that he can force the words out.

“It— was stolen,” he wheezes, eyes rolling back a little at the lack of oxygen in his lungs; he feels dizzy, and he’s sure he’s going to black out any moment. He hears a horrible sound, something between a stupefied hiss and a soft, blood freezing roar, and the pressure on his throat is back, pushing him up against the wooden shelf behind the counter.

“By whom?” the question is cold and deadly, and Taekwoon knows that answering is his only chance at survival. He opens his mouth to speak, but suddenly there’s a jingle at the door — through lidded eyes he can see the Gyromians freeze and turn their heads towards the source of the noise.

“By me.”

The voice echoes through the shop, making a whispered hiss run through the Gyromians’ ranks. Taekwoon can feel the pressure on his throat decrease, and he takes a wheezing breath, his head spinning as his ears perk up at the voice — Hakyeon’s voice.

Taekwoon tries to look, but the statures of the Gyromians keep Hakyeon from Taekwoon’s sight. He can tell the creatures are taken aback, but it’s not long before they gather themselves and the grip on Taekwoon’s throat completely vanishes, their attention fully turned to Hakyeon.

Taekwoon’s back slides down the shelf, his entire force vanished from his body. He coughs, one of his hands coming up to rub at his throat, and his mouth feels dry as he takes a couple of deep breaths. He glances up, seeing the Gyromians surround Hakyeon; the pirate doesn’t seem fazed at all, instead sporting a rather relaxed smile.

“Give it to us, or you won’t get out of here alive.” one of the creatures threatens, the sound of his voice cold, making a shiver run down Taekwoon’s spine. To his surprise, Hakyeon fishes out the tomb key from one of the pockets of his cloak, and hands it over without any hesitation.

“Before you threaten me,” Hakyeon starts, looking at the Gyromians with twinkling eyes, “you ought to know that I was employed by your governor to retrieve it. I have the proof here.” And with a flick of his hand he produces a set of digital parchment. Taekwoon’s eyes widen at the sight. A contract.

There’s a round of low, disbelieving gurgling going through the ranks of the Gyromians as they inspect the contract handed to them, and Taekwoon feels the second tick by, heart beating against his ribs. He isn’t sure what’s happening, but suddenly the creatures are turning their heads back at Hakyeon, handing the contract back to him.

“You have our thanks,” one of the Gyromians speaks after a couple of moments of silence. Taekwoon sees a movement out of the corner of his eyes, and he turns his head to see the creatures bowing to Hakyeon. 

Taekwoon’s eyes widen in surprise, and he is even more confused when the creatures move towards the door, going back out to the streets without another word. His heart is still hammering in his chest, the adrenaline from the assault still present in his veins, and he finds himself staring at the door, trying to comprehend what has just happened.

It’s only when he hears his footsteps coming closer, rounding the counter, that he looks up to meet Hakyeon’s eyes. He feels a lump form in his throat and the bitter taste spread on his tongue as Hakyeon crouches down in front of him. Taekwoon looks away, lips pressed together tightly.

“That was anti-climatic,” he mumbles without humor, looking at the floor. He feels powerless, his entire body aching from the attack. He can hear Hakyeon chuckle softly.

“Are you alright?” he asks, tone quivering and worried, and Taekwoon can’t help but glance up. The feeling of betrayal burns in his veins when he meets Hakyeon’s eyes, and if he weren’t so weak, he’d punch him.

“As if you care,” he spits, his tone cold, but there’s a tremor in his voice that he hopes Hakyeon can’t hear. He shifts back against the shelf, away from Hakyeon. He doesn’t look up to see the flash of regret in Hakyeon’s eyes; instead he rubs his fingers along his throat in an attempt to soothe the still lingering pain.

“Taekwoon…” he hears Hakyeon mumble, and out of the corner of his eyes he sees a hand reaching out for him. He slaps it away, eyes burning as he turns his gaze to Hakyeon — the startled expression on his face only makes Taekwoon angrier.

“You used me. You knew exactly what I felt for you and you just— you pretended to like me so you could get the tomb key and— you lied to me!” Taekwoon exclaims, voice rough and scratchy from the choke earlier. He can feel tears sting at the corners of his eyes, but he wills them away; he’s not going to let Hakyeon see him cry.

“Your reputation runs all over the galaxy, and I was stupid enough to think that maybe, maybe you felt differently when it came to me. I was so stupid—“ Taekwoon goes on, tone increasing with each word falling from his lips. Hakyeon only listens, silent, the expression on his face turning pained.

When he’s out of breath, chest heaving and fingers trembling from the pent up emotions, Taekwoon’s voice suddenly turns quiet, almost soft. “Not even contacting me for weeks, leaving just like that… you could’ve just asked.” The last sentence was a whisper, so low Taekwoon isn’t sure if Hakyeon hears it at all. He hopes he doesn’t, hopes he doesn’t see how vulnerable he feels, the anger in his chest deflating with each passing second Hakyeon doesn’t reply.

“Taekwoonie…” Hakyeon whispers finally, and Taekwoon’s eyes are tired when he looks up. There’s a forced smile on Hakyeon’s lips, and Taekwoon can see the little tremble of his lower lip. It makes his heart pick up in speed again, and he knows it’s not out of anger, far from it. He missed Hakyeon so much.

“I didn’t want to lie to you about the job. But it was confidential, I couldn’t—“ he stops, taking a shaky breath, and his eyes are sincere as he moves just a little closer to Taekwoon. “There’s one thing I didn’t lie about, though.”

Taekwoon’s breath catches in his throat, and he looks into Hakyeon’s brown eyes, not daring to hope. But there’s a small smile on Hakyeon’s lips, one that’s softer and warmer than he’s ever seen, and Taekwoon feels his heart leap in his chest.

“I like you, Taekwoon. It’s the one thing I’ve always been honest about.”

Taekwoon’s eyelashes flutter at the words, trying to take them in. Before he knows it, Hakyeon’s hands are on his face and his lips are pressed to his — and Taekwoon sighs, a sigh that lifts all of his worries and his anger, and he kisses back, with as much force as he can muster. He tries not to think about what’s going to happen, of Hakyeon’s stupid reputation and all the doubts he’s had before. Right now, they’re all irrelevant.

When their lips part, Hakyeon looks at him, and his expression is so pained and apologetic that Taekwoon feels like he should be comforting Hakyeon, and not the other way around.

“I’m so sorry I— they could have—“ he tries to say, voice breaking as if the mere thought of how the situation could have ended freezes him in place. “I was on the way to Gyromia when I heard. They must have started their way earlier than me, because I heard that they were already looking for you when I got to the next planet for a pitstop, and— I turned around as fast as I could. I knew they weren’t going to be peaceful—“ This time, it’s Taekwoon’s hands that come to up Hakyeon’s face, tracing soft, soothing patterns across his cheeks in an attempt to calm him down.

“It’s okay, I’m fine.” There’s a small smile on Taekwoon’s lips, and Hakyeon blinks repeatedly, emotions flashing through his eyes. Then he smiles, too, and Taekwoon feels like flying. He leans in for a soft kiss, merely a brush of his lips against Hakyeon’s, and he can feel Hakyeon’s fingers tighten a little in his hair.

“Come with me,” Hakyeon whispers against Taekwoon’s lips — it’s a request, one that makes Taekwoon’s stomach flip and his eyes widen in shock. “I’ve already paid your loan — I thought it was the least I could do,” he says sheepishly, looking at Taekwoon as if he’s afraid he’ll get mad. “And I’m sure we can find a buyer for the shop in no time. You, at least, have quite a good reputation.”

Taekwoon looks at Hakyeon in disbelief, but then, suddenly, he’s laughing. Laughing at the sheer impossibility of the situation, laughing because he feels his voice catching in his throat, laughing because he can’t believe everything is as simple as this. Hakyeon chuckles a little, running his fingers through Taekwoon’s hair, and Taekwoon feels his cheeks hurt from the wide grin stretching over his lips.

“When are we leaving?” Taekwoon asks, because he doesn’t trust his voice to bring out a ‘yes’, and the way Hakyeon’s eyes lit up is enough to make his head spin again.

“Tomorrow.” Hakyeon says, eyes crinkling into crescents as he helps Taekwoon up, dusting off Taekwoon’s clothes. “Do you think you can get ready till then?”

Taekwoon chuckles at that, shaking his head a little. Always the impatient one. “Let me go pack my things.” Hakyeon nods, the smile never leaving his face, and Taekwoon feels like he could float away from all the butterflies in his stomach.

It doesn’t take long for Taekwoon to gather what he needs, not wanting to take most of his things. They remind him too much of the base, of a home that’s never been one, and he’s not sad to let them go. The suitcase ends up very light after packing, only holding a couple of clothes and most of the money he’s saved over the years; he knows it’s enough to live for a while, and he doesn’t need to think about what happens when he runs out.

Weirdly enough, as he hears Hakyeon call his name down from the shop, the prospect of not knowing where he’ll be going isn’t scary anymore — maybe because, no matter what happens, he knows he’s finally found his home in Hakyeon.

**Author's Note:**

> so this was inspired by anna (bijyu), bc she wanted space pirate hakyeon and I-- didn't even know I had so much to write about it until it happened and I got possessed for about two days writing 11 hours on this and I still dont know how it happened
> 
> first sci-fi au ever so I hope it's--- good ;;


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